Considering and working on just seven simple aspects of your life can drastically improve your motivation, personal success and overall mental health. A popular technique used in professional life coaching, studying and developing these aspects of everyday life can be used in treatment of depression, eating disorder recovery or just for those people who are lacking enthusiasm, fulfilment or meaning in their lives.
Think of these seven aspects as a jigsaw; if one piece is abandoned, the jigsaw is incomplete and will not feel fulfilled until the missing piece is found. So, if you are feeling down, take a look at these seven aspects; chances are you are lacking in at least one of them.
Vision can help with motivation and effectiveness
Where do you see yourself in five, ten, or even twenty years? Or, better still, where can you see yourself next week?
Vision is what keeps us aiming for something and keeps us motivated every day. Imagine where you would love to be and what you would want to be doing in the future. Now, how can you achieve this? You can only improve the success and fulfilment of the future by improving on the present, even if you are taking teeny steps each day. Start working towards your ideal vision right now.
Purpose gives you motivation to be successful
Without purpose, life can seem like swimming through an endless pool of treacle. It can seem meaningless, unsuccessful and extremely dull. Injecting purpose into your life boosts feelings of success, effectiveness and emotional well-being. Do actions for a reason. If you are not aware of this reason, chances are completing these actions will not be done entirely successfully and will leave you feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled.
Strong sense of identity can make you effective and successful
This one may seem obvious, but it is often the aspect of life that people are most likely to disregard. What makes you, you? Are you a positive or negative person? Do you prefer the winter or summer season? Why did you choose to do that instead of that?
Identity is precious. When you lose the value of your personal identity it can be difficult to function effectively in hectic everyday life. Take time out to rediscover and find out what you really think of yourself. Asking friends, family or partners can be comforting at times, but it is important that you form your own opinion of yourself and learn to embrace who you really are within, minimizing the probability that you will become unfulfilled and unmotivated to succeed.
Passion boosts your motivation
What is it that excites your creativity or motivation? That absorbs you like a sponge to water, taking you away to a beautiful place where all that really matters is the intense satisfaction that you gain from pursuing it? This is your passion. It could be anything from cooking cakes to carving pumpkins; a passion is personal, rewarding and extremely valuable to anyone desiring a fulfilled, successful life. Think of it as the icing on the cake; it is not necessary, but the cake would not taste as moist and delicious without it!
Use your talents and gifts to make you an effective and motivated person
Individual talents and gifts are entirely unique, and dangerously wasteful if not made use of. Just think: where would modern art be today if Picasso had decided to discard his paintbrush for a spanner; where would computer technology be if Bill Gates had decided not to use his talents to invent Microsoft? These may seem extreme examples, but there is little point of anyone attempting to pursue a long-term office job in marketing when they are fully aware of their talents in mechanical engineering. Even if you only use your gifts and talents during your leisure time, it is vital that you use them. The effectiveness that comes from them has already been born with the talent.
Challenging your beliefs can make you an effective person
You will be surprised at how many ineffective and unmotivated people are chained down by their beliefs. Not religious beliefs, but beliefs on personal abilities and limits. Truth is: there are no limits. The most successful people are the people who believe they can be successful.
The more you believe something is or is not possible, the more that belief becomes engraved into your thought patterns – so much so that you start to believe it is nothing less than pure, absolute truth, therefore manipulating your life around them. Challenge your beliefs; you will be stunned by the extent of your abilities.
Choice gives you motivation and efficiency
This is perhaps the most essential tool that you need to address in your life: Choice. You may not have the power to decide not to get fired, or the power to ensure that your husband or wife is faithful, but you can choose how to emotionally respond to it.
Between each thought and response there is a gap – infinitesimally small – but extraordinarily powerful if you learn to access and harness it; it is the tiny fraction of a second between missing your train and the feeling of frustration and anger; between someone not returning your call and you feeling unwanted. It is choice. It is at that place where you are in full control; make sure that you are aware that your responses stem from this choice.
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